Indian citizen Smit Machchhar is being celebrated worldwide for his on-flight bravery. Machchhar has been working as pilot with Flydubai, a low-cost carrier owned by the Emirati government, for four years. He was with SpiceJet for 10 years before that.

A Flydubai flight Boeing 737 took off with over 170 passengers from Dubai airport on Wednesday this week. Machchhar was piloting the flight. While cruising at a height of about 34,000 feet, the co-pilot tried to sabotage the Israel-bound aircraft. He stabbed Machchhar in an attempt to do so. The aircraft began dropping at roughly 23,000 feet per minute before reaching about 15,600 feet, owing to the mid-air crisis.

Machchhar resisted the co-pilot, fighting him back. He opened the cockpit door for passengers and crew members to move in and overpower the attacker.

Machchhar’s timely tactics worked even as passengers closer to the cockpit moved the attacker away. Two relief pilots, who were seated at the back, took over the aircraft and diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised ‘hero’ Machchhar for fighting off his co-pilot, who allegedly attempted to crash the Dubai-Tel Aviv Flydubai aircraft. Modi said India is “proud of him”.

“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machchhar,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X.

Modi applauded Captain Machchhar’s bravery, while praying for his “speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health”.

The Prime Minister also spoke to the wife and parents of Machchhar, assuring them of all possible help from the Indian missions.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also praised Machchhar for his “extraordinary courage”.

He said, “Captain Smit Machchhar’s extraordinary courage and remarkable presence of mind, even in the face of grave danger, saved hundreds of lives yesterday and averted a major tragedy. Join the countless voices from across the world in saluting his valour and praying for his speedy recovery.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Machchhar a “true hero”, commending him for his “extraordinary behaviour”.

“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker – preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.

Netanyahu said Captain Machchhar and the passengers who entered the cockpit “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster”.

The Israeli Prime Minister confirmed the arrest of the copilot. However, the identity and motive of the Omani co-pilot remains unknown.

US President Trump called pilot Machchhar a hero. He further called the co-pilot a “terrorist” and a “whack job”.

Meanwhile, Flydubai has suspended its flights to and from Israel.

The mid-air scare has happened at a time when Israel is a week away from the anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on the country, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Amid this, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah have announced that they are following up on injured pilot Machchhar’s health with Saudi authorities. Though a full update on his health is awaited, he is reported to be stable after timely medical treatment at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. – editor@nrifocus.com